The modern radio astronomy network in Ukraine: UTR-2, URAN and GURT

• Published in: Experimental astronomy Vol. 42; no. 1; pp. 11 - 48
• Main Authors: Konovalenko, A., Sodin, L., Zakharenko, V., Zarka, P., Ulyanov, O., Sidorchuk, M., Stepkin, S., Tokarsky, P., Melnik, V., Kalinichenko, N., Stanislavsky, A., Koliadin, V., Shepelev, V., Dorovskyy, V., Ryabov, V., Koval, A., Bubnov, I., Yerin, S., Gridin, A., Kulishenko, V., Reznichenko, A., Bortsov, V., Lisachenko, V., Reznik, A., Kvasov, G., Mukha, D., Litvinenko, G., Khristenko, A., Shevchenko, V. V., Shevchenko, V. A., Belov, A., Rudavin, E., Vasylieva, I., Miroshnichenko, A., Vasilenko, N., Olyak, M., Mylostna, K., Skoryk, A., Shevtsova, A., Plakhov, M., Kravtsov, I., Volvach, Y., Lytvinenko, O., Shevchuk, N., Zhouk, I., Bovkun, V., Antonov, A., Vavriv, D., Vinogradov, V., Kozhin, R., Kravtsov, A., Bulakh, E., Kuzin, A., Vasilyev, A., Brazhenko, A., Vashchishin, R., Pylaev, O., Koshovyy, V., Lozinsky, A., Ivantyshin, O., Rucker, H. O., Panchenko, M., Fischer, G., Lecacheux, A., Denis, L., Coffre, A., Grieβmeier, J.-M., Tagger, M., Girard, J., Charrier, D., Briand, C., Mann, G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.08.2016; Springer Nature B.V; Springer Link
• Subjects: Angular resolution; Antenna arrays; Astronomical instruments; Astronomy; Chemistry and Earth Sciences; Computer Science; Devices; Frequency ranges; Galaxies; LOFAR; Modernization; Observations and Techniques; Original Article; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Radio astronomy; Radio telescopes; Research projects; Sciences of the Universe; Solar system; Spectra; Statistics for Engineering; T shape; Temporal resolution; Waveforms; Ukraine; MED, Ukraine; Radio astronomy; Space research; Radio telescope; Antenna arrays
• ISSN: 0922-6435; 1572-9508
• DOI: 10.1007/s10686-016-9498-x

The current status of the large decameter radio telescope UTR-2 (Ukrainian T-shaped Radio telescope) together with its VLBI system called URAN is described in detail. By modernization of these instruments through implementation of novel versatile analog and digital devices as well as new observation techniques, the observational capabilities of UTR-2 have been substantially enhanced. The total effective area of UTR-2 and URAN arrays reaches 200 000 m 2 , with 24 MHz observational bandwidth (within the 8–32 MHz frequency range), spectral and temporal resolutions down to 4 kHz and 0.5 msec in dynamic spectrum mode or virtually unlimited in waveform mode. Depending on the spectral and temporal resolutions and confusion effects, the sensitivity of UTR-2 varies from a few Jy to a few mJy, and the angular resolution ranges from ~ 30 arcminutes (with a single antenna array) to a few arcseconds (in VLBI mode). In the framework of national and international research projects conducted in recent years, many new results on Solar system objects, the Galaxy and Metagalaxy have been obtained. In order to extend the observation frequency range to 8–80 MHz and enlarge the dimensions of the UTR-2 array, a new instrument – GURT (Giant Ukrainian Radio Telescope) – is now under construction. The radio telescope systems described herein can be used in synergy with other existing low-frequency arrays such as LOFAR, LWA, NenuFAR, as well as provide ground-based support for space-based instruments.